Magnolia Park

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT MAGNOLIA PARK

When Porto's Bakery moved into Magnolia Park, something refreshing started happening. You saw people having a good time, enjoying a good pastry, simply walking more along Magnolia Boulevard sidewalks near Hollywood Way, or sitting at outdoor tables watching the cars go by. Things were bustling at the corner of Magnolia and Hollywood Way. It's a snapshot of what the Magnolia Park shopping district can be. The City Council's vote...

Every week when I read the Burbank Leader I feel like yelling "stop." It's those infernal captions on your story's where you so often have the incorrect locations. For example, a couple weeks ago you had John Burroughs High School in Magnolia Park and more recently the Gordon Howard Museum also in Magnolia Park. You are so far off it isn't funny. Magnolia Park was started in Burbank by developer Earl L White. He started working on plans for Magnolia Park in 1917 and before that he was operating a dairy business on 400 acres he bought in 1915 which is now a Warner Brothers lot and formerly Columbia Ranch.

If there was one sure thing to take from Monday's ceremony celebrating the MagnoliaPark revitalization project, it's that $1 million doesn't buy what it used to. Or in this case, $1.2 million. That was the price tag for the three-phase Magnolia Park project, in which new parking was added, crosswalks improved and trees planted. The city also installed three copper-roofed kiosks, black benches and an art nouveau bus stop with ornamental wrought iron magnolia flowers.

Burbank City Council's vote last week to allow Magnolia Park property owners to move forward with forming a business improvement district was a positive step toward improving the area's business climate. It also is a chance to incorporate the diversity of voices that make up the area. The 270 property owners in the area must now step up and sign a petition in favor of creating the district ? in which owners would assess themselves for improvements. Doing otherwise would be to cut the area off from long-coveted enhancements, such as better parking arrangements, landscaping, increased street maintenance and more effective marketing ?

The following incidents were taken from police reports. MAGNOLIA PARK 3212 W. Magnolia Blvd.: A 29-year-old employee of Urban Essentials discovered that his backpack was missing Wednesday. After he walked out momentarily, he returned to discover the backpack and more than $100 was taken, police said. MEDIA DISTRICT WEST 3500 W. Olive Ave.: A group of men allegedly stole boxes of computer monitors and keyboards from a delivery van parked near a loading dock Wednesday, police said.

Credit union takes youngsters to ballgame The Lockheed Federal Credit Union in Burbank donated more than 100 tickets for Saturday’s Dodger game to the Burbank Boys & Girls Club. The game was against the Colorado Rockies. Since 2006, the Lockheed Federal Credit Union has donated more than $4,000 in funds and items to the Burbank Boys & Girls Club, according to the credit union. Magnolia Park beautifies lampposts After the addition of street banners on lampposts in the Magnolia Park shopping district, the neighborhood’s business partnership is looking to add flower baskets to the mix. The adopt-a-basket program allows business owners interested in beautifying the area to choose where their sponsored flower basket will hang and will get their name on a plaque.

Mark R. Madler Saying that it will help revitalize the Magnolia Park neighborhood, the City Council approved a loan to turn a vacant building into a bakery and cafe. The $790,000 Magnolia Boulevard and Hollywood Way would come from the city's general fund. While pleased that Raul Porto wanted to open a second location of his popular family-owned bakery, the council members were also cautious because Porto has yet to purchase the building. "We believe the type of business you run in Glendale makes sense for this location," said Vice Mayor Jef Vander Borght at Tuesday's council meeting.

Will Rogers' chronic condition of foot in mouth has now extended to a much more intractable affliction of selective memory. Will's latest peeve is with the residents and merchants of Magnolia Park, who appear to Will as spoiled brats, ever demanding special entitlement. For example, Will assigns responsibility for the fortress-like Rite-Aid at the corner of Magnolia Boulevard and Hollywood Way to the hysterical and conflicting demands neighbors made of the developer.

MAGNOLIA PARK — With the formation of a business improvement district last summer, businesses owners in Magnolia Park pooled their resources to bring in more merchants and patrons through beautification and advertising efforts. But some residents in the area are feeling left out. The concern is that enhancement efforts will not reach some areas on the west end of Magnolia Boulevard, specifically, anything west of Pass Avenue — which includes Evergreen Street, Rose Street, Valley Street and Clybourn Avenue, area resident Lorena Mendez-Quiroga said.